This study investigated whether gender differences exist in the factors thought to influence a person's desire to pursue higher education. A 152-item multiple choice questionnaire, completed by 346 students enrolled at a large university during 1998, was the source of the data. The independent variable was gender; dependent variables were…

School documents, interviews, and observations were used to examine the development of middle school teachers' reflective thought. Highly reflective teachers showed greater a greater sense of efficacy in their work and ownership within classrooms and schools, always seeking innovation. Less reflective teachers emphasized classroom practice and…

The relations between motivational constructs, effort, self-efficacy and worry, and statistics achievement were investigated in a sample of 360 undergraduates in Malaysia. Both trait (cross-situational) and state (task-specific) measures of each construct were used to test a mediational trait (r) state (r) performance (TSP) model. As hypothesized,…

The effects of a form of cooperative group instruction called Team Assisted Individualization on students in a high school Algebra II class were examined. Sixty-two (31 female and 31 male) 11th-grade students were randomly assigned to either a cooperative learning (32 students) or traditional lecture (30 students) group. Students completed an…

Descriptive data were collected from male and female students in grades 7, 9, and 11 on five learner attributes commonly reported as influencing student learning and/or motivation: desire for approval of others, attribution of success or failure, desire for challenge in academic settings, perceived self-competence in school settings, and locus of…

Drawing on data collected from students attending Australian rural- and urban-based universities, structural modeling was used to test the validity of a model of student persistence and satisfaction in agricultural courses. The model placed personal and environmental factors as predictors of student persistence and satisfaction and was comprised…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program to improve students' lack of effort and use of ineffective learning strategies. Participants were students in one kindergarten class, one second-grade class, one high ability fourth-grade class and one high ability fifth-grade class in a Midwest suburban school. Student and teacher…

Examines relationships between schooling, the economy, and employment for Maltese girls and women. Despite their abilities, girls lower their aspirations to match available jobs or do not enter the labor market. Rising educational standards and social awareness have led to Maltese females' reluctance to participate in the work force. (RLC)

Examines contextual differences in student motivation and self-regulated learning in seventh- and eighth-grade mathematics, social studies, and English. Results revealed differences by subject area and gender in motivation and cognitive strategy use variables, but not in regulatory strategy use or academic performance; relations among these…

This paper focuses on the role of self-evaluation during self-regulated learning. After a discussion of the social cognitive theory of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and achievement goals, two studies of fourth graders who were learning fraction skills and one ongoing research project with college students enrolled in their first computer class…

This study examined how parental practices in mainland China influence adolescents' school performance, including school motivation and grade point average (GPA), when moderated by self-esteem and self-efficacy. Participating in the study were 497 students, ranging in age from 12 to 19 years, attending six public junior and senior high schools.…

This study examined different course delivery formats for an introductory special education course, focusing on their impact on student motivation, learning, and attitudes toward helping. The 3-credit course was offered in two formats: a traditional course format (one large lecture section that met for 100 minutes once a week for 150 students and…

This study examined the relationships among college students' perceptions of their personal (constructivist-based) learning environments, the extent to which they viewed selected teaching and learning activities as enhancing their personal learning, and their personal learning efficacy. A total of 2,190 students in 145 evening classes offered by…

This paper reports the outcomes of a motivation training program for preadolescents. The program consisted of activities, strategies, and 18 mini-lessons designed to enhance preadolescents' academic achievement motivation. Cartoon characters were used to present motivational concepts such as causal attributions, self-efficacy, persistence,…

An achievement goal theory framework was used to examine the relations among goals and a number of other motivational constructs in a sample of middle school students. Participants were 189 eighth graders from a public school in the south. In one session students completed the attitude measures and in another session they completed a mathematics…